This round Canaanite jug is covered in a series of frenzied red lines that seem to buzz through time, the intersecting spaces broken up by a clearing of just three vertical marks at four spots along the jug’s body. The jug’s basket handle arches above the mouth’s large opening, while a short spout arises from the front, flaring slightly for an easy pour.
The little we know of ancient Canaan comes from the rich archeological record they left behind. This piece is an excellent example of the simple rites of ancient history, when the storage and transportation of water meant the difference between life and death in the arid realm of Canaan.
REFERENCE #
KB_PT_9993
CIVILIZATION
Early Bronze Age I, 3500 B.C.E. – 3000 B.C.E.
SIZE
H. 21.5 cm
CONDITION
Fine condition
PRICE
Price available upon request[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
A Tazza refers to a little cup, consisting of a short stem topped by a wide receptacle. This piece comes from the Samarian region, created in the style of either Egyptian or Canaanite craftsmen. The small cup is only 6 cm in size, lending an intimacy to the object during religious ceremonies.
The cup’s body is pinched at its mouth as well as its base, which arcs downward and connects to the wide hourglass shaped stem.
Canaanite bronze sickle sword. The sword blade curves for two thirds of its length but is straight at its lower end. The handle has raised edges and ends in a “comma” to ensure the grip.
Reference: Y. Yadin, “The Art of Warfare in Biblical Lands” (London, 1963), p. 207
Canaanite artisans were prolific, and their pottery came in an array of fantastic shapes, colors and sizes. This white ware jug is no exception, its ghostly exterior marked with dark brown lines that zigzag across the top half of its bulbous body. A wide base supports the body itself, while the short neck above ends at a large flat mouth.
A handle rises abruptly from the body and connects at the neck’s base, making a sturdy loop for the well-worn hands of an ancient Canaanite
The distinctive base of this Canaanite jar is made of three looped legs that prop the body up in tripod-like fashion. The design is more aesthetically pleasing than innovative, yet the rest of the jug was carefully made to exacting standards that allowed for the flawless curves of its white ceramic exterior.
The upper half of the jug is decorated with chocolate brown bands that alternate between straight lines and tightly wound zigzags. The overall effect is an ancient artifact imbued with a timeless sense of artistry and originality.REFERENCE #
This magnificent leaf-shaped spear head was made by the Canaanites in the mid to late 2nd millennium B.C.E.. It displays excellent engineering and structural elements, particularly in terms of the bilateral central longitudinal fortified rib, widening to a broad tabular section at the butt end which was used to haft the spear head onto the shaft. The body tapers in both frontal and lateral profiles, making it a lethally effective weapon. The size also counts against anything other than a martial function, while the status associated with both warriors and large quantities of bronze (an expensive commodity at the time) marks it out as an important artifact.
Where found in context, such pieces are typically associated with prestige graves, and it would appear that they were probably as important in terms of appearance (i.e. conspicuous governance and threat) as in their evident lethality in combat. Indeed, at almost half a metre long, this piece would have been a very imposing item at the time of its manufacture, as indeed it is now. There is considerable evidence for diversity of manufacture across the Canaanite area, perhaps reflecting something of the modular yet martial nature of the time.
The Canaanites were one of the ‘tribal’ groups of what was to become Israel, Palestine and Jordan, who had their cultural roots in the Neolithic revolution when agriculture revolutionised Near East economics. By the Bronze Age the stability of the area and their position between great trading powers – notably Egypt and Mesopotamia – made them prosperous and culturally diverse, and was a high point for artistic creation. The culture contracted with economic issues suffered by Egypt and the Mesopotamians, and went through a collapse at the end of the Bronze Age due to a combination of ‘Sea People’ invasions, environmental meltdown and internal troubles in Egypt leading to loss of infrastructure throughout the Near East. Their resurgence of power in the Iron Age was matched by that of the Ammonites and Moabites, among others, and the region eventually came under control of the Neo-Assyrians by the mid 8th century B.C.E.. Such symbols of conspicuous consumption and authority are rare, especially in this excellent state of preservation and exquisite patination. This is an attractive and elegant piece of ancient art.
The natural polish of this red slip spouted jar shines brightly even under the softest of lights. The large ovoid body of this piece has no neck, but instead a flattened ring atop its mouth and a bent spout with a small hole for measured pouring. This suggests an efficiency commonly found throughout the arid regions of ancient Canaan, when water and wine were too important for the casual spill.
Wide Canaanite terra-cotta bowl with a single large spout protruding at a 45-degree angle from halfway up the body. The body tapers to a flattened base while the large mouth lacks embellishment. Monochrome paint marks the body’s upper half in parallel lines that intersect in diagonal planes.
The thin lines that mark the top half of this large amphoriskos are on the primal end of art history, yet their application is so intricate as to reveal the care and attention to detail of the Canaanite artisan who applied them to the vessel’s exterior over 5000 years ago.
The large egg-shaped body of this amphoriskos allowed it to hold substantial amounts of liquid, be it wine, water or oil. The rich desert tones of its smooth exterior stand out boldly among the monochrome paint that scratch its surface.
A cast bronze axe head with a cylindrical socketing shaft, a tapered spike on the back end, and a horizontal axe blade on the front.
For similar see: Nikolaus Boroffka, Simple technology. Casting moulds for axe-heads. In: Tobias L. Kienlin, Ben Roberts (ed.), Metals and society. Studies in honour of Barbara S. Ottaway.
Universitätsforschungen zur Prähistorischen Archäologie 169. Vertag
Dr. Rudolf Habelt GmbH (Bonn 2009), pp. 246-257, n. 1-2.
Large Canaanite chocolate and white ware, ancient Canaanite pottery corresponding to the Late Bronze Age of approximately 1530 B.C.E. – 1480 B.C.E.. Narrow base rises to wide smooth shoulders, topped by slightly flared neck with straight-rimmed mouth. Monochrome paint patterns in four distinct rings on vase’s top half, interspersed with four stylized palm trees. Base structure of three loops, each painted with four short straight lines, serves as tripod stand.
